9 Must-Have Android Apps For Entry-Level Cheap Smartphones

Google Play store has than more than 1.3 million apps for your newly bought Android phone, but just like any other thing, different apps have different system requirements. You can install any app that you want if you have a latest phone running on a fast quad-core processor and has more than 512 MB of RAM.

However, things become unclear when you are using an entry-level cheap Android phone. Not all apps run on cheap Android phones and that’s why we have compiled this list of must-have apps for cheap & affordable entry-level Android smartphones.

Credits: Alexander Supertramp / Shutterstock.com

I’m using the word ‘cheap’ to describe the price tag. It is in no way related to the quality of the mobile phone.

Here are 9 must-have Android Apps for your Cheap Android Phone:

1. Greenify

Greenify identifies and automatically hibernates constantly running and battery sucking apps. It thus not only helps save precious battery juice but also improves system performance. Install Greenify once and you’ll never imagine using an Android phone without it!

I use Snapdragon BatteryGuru on my phone and I must say that it is the best combo to have Greenify working along with it.

3. Clean Master

I bet that you have seen someone using an app with a brush as its logo. It also look like a broom at first glance and that is exactly what this app does. It cleans up junk, obsolete and unwanted files from internal memory as well as SD card. It also frees up RAM allowing you to enjoy your favourite game @ high fps on your low RAM phone.

Clean Master also protects your Android devices against malicious apps. Its Google Play description also mentions that it can also resolve heating problems in Android devices.

4. MX Player

MX Player is the KMPlayer for Android devices. You know what this means?

It means that MX Player can play almost any popular video format that you throw at it. If some video let’s say .avi is not supported by default on your phone, then you can play it in MX Player’s ‘S/W decoder’ mode. It also supports hardware acceleration, pinch to zoom, zoom & pan, subtitles, multi-core decoding, etc. for providing seamless video playback on your Android phone.

5. SuperBeam

SuperBeam is a must-have apps for those who love to exchange files with their friends. SuperBeam makes Bluetooth file sharing obsolete by leveraging the power of NFC, and Wi-Fi Direct. It can also fall back to file sharing via Wi-Fi Hotspot on devices that don’t support Wi-Fi Direct, and NFC. The file transfer speed goes up to 50Mbps via Wi-Fi Direct.

6. Opera Mini

Opera Mini is one of the most popular Android browsers. It is not only light on system resources but also saves precious mobile data by incorporating data compression. It also comes with an integrated download manager and speed dial support on the home page. Another cool feature is its ‘Smart Page’. Smart Page shows all updates from your favourite social networks on a single page.

Download Opera Mini

7. ES File Explorer

Most the latest Android phones come with in-built file explorer. But, if you happen to own an old HTC or Sony or any other smartphone without a dedicated file manager app, then you should install ES File Explorer.

It is not just another file manager. It can also be used as an application manager, download manager, task killer, cloud storage client (works with Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, Amazon S3, etc.). It also features ‘Root Explorer’ allowing users to access all files of the Android file system. However, care should be taken while working in this mode, or you’ll corrupt your OS.

8. WhatsApp

Initially, I had chosen to not include WhatsApp in this list as it neither adds any feature nor improves the performance of the entry-level and cheap Android phones in any way. But given the fact that it is the most popular IM (Instant Messenger) in the world, I started to have second thoughts. And WhatsApp finally made it to this list.

If you are a smartphone user then people take you to be a WhatsApp user for granted, and if you don’t use this popular IM then you risk being called as a technophobe. The choice is yours.

9. WPS Office

You wouldn’t call an Android phone smart if it can’t open the popular office files like .pdf, .docx. xlsx, pptx, etc. That’s why you should install some office app on your entry-level phone which didn’t have any office app by default.

WPS Office is what I use on my phone too. Besides reading, it also lets the user to create and edit all popular MS office files. You can share your office files via email, Evernote and back them up to your cloud storage too.

This completes the list of 9 must-have Android apps for your cheap Android phone. Besides these apps, you should also have Facebook, Twitter, Feedly, Hangouts, Viber, Instagram, News and Weather app, online recharge and shopping apps installed on your inexpensive Android phone for using it to its fullest potential.

Did we miss your favourite app for entry-level Android phones? Please mention it in the comments below.

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About the author

An E&TC engineer by profession, Anand spends most of his time fiddling around with the latest gadgets. He is our key expert when it comes to electronics, hardware and other related stuff.
Get in touch with him on Google+ & Twitter.